Reviewer:
Sandorm
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September 23, 2011
Subject:
A few corrections
I am delighted to find this book here, as it is long out of print and very hard to find.
First, the title is miscatalogued, however - the title is Lourdes. The B seems to be some sort of typographical element on the cover (no idea why).
What is fascinating about this book is that Zola, the sceptic when it comes to religion, goes off to Lourdes (in the early days) expecting to debunk the superstition and beliefs of those who go there in the hope of a cure. Instead, he provides such a compelling narrative of what goes on there, the lives and motives of the pilgrims, that he discovers not even science or reason can fully explain it away.
Worth reading as much for a very early account of thee way Lourdes was run, and perceived, as for another insight into Zola's thought.